Never Tear Us Apart
by Bellantara
Summary: When Keith and Jeff defy their orders to stay together, how far will Marshal Graham go to stop them? Keith/Jeff pairing
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: Where to start? This is for my new friends, the Crazy Gals—diahard, the Winters twins, and of course UsagiRyu. Thank you for your encouragement and for your welcome. I'm honored to be considered one of you. I can't figure out who to bribe/blackmail at WEP, so the team still belongs to them. For Now. :D

The week before graduation, Galaxy Garrison Academy delivered initial orders to all senior cadets. Cadet Keith Kogane found a quiet corner of the common room and sat down to open his. _Keith Akira Kogane is hereby promoted to Commander and ordered to take command of the Space Explorer team. The team is to leave no later than 7 June 2165 for the planet Arus in the Azure Quadrant. Report to Space Marshal Graham at 1500 hours 1 June 2165 for more detailed instructions._ Keith grinned and hurried down the hall to his room, hoping to find his roommate and lover, Jeff Dukane. They had been talking for weeks about their assignments, and Keith wanted to know what Jeff knew about Arus.

Sure enough, Jeff sat in their room, staring at his own orders. Keith leaned over and kissed him, then sprawled on his bed. "So, you ready for Arus? I can't wait for this briefing; wonder what Marshal Graham wants us to do out there." Jeff didn't answer, and Keith sat up to look at him. "Jeff? Talk to me; what's wrong? Aren't you excited?" He got up and knelt in front of his lover. "Jeff?"

Jeff finally looked at him, grey eyes tormented. "I'm not going to Arus," he whispered, then held out his orders. Keith snatched them and read, horrified. _Jeffrey Michael Dukane is hereby promoted to Commander and ordered to take command of the Air Team and overall command of the Vehicle Voltron Force on the expeditionary vessel _Explorer. _The _Explorer _is to depart for the Outer Rim no later than 15 July 2165. _

Keith looked up, stunned. "No. Th-this can't be. We're supposed to go together!" He stood up and paced. "They've told us for months; one of us was to command, and the other would be the second." His hands started to shake. "How could they do this to us?"

Jeff got up and wrapped his arms around Keith, nuzzling into his back. "Graham must have found out about us. You know how that old bastard is."

Keith shivered, and not just from the contact with Jeff. "How could he find out? We've been careful!" He pulled away. "I guess that's it then."

Jeff was incredulous. "So that's **it?** You're just going to _walk away from me?_ Like the last three years didn't mean anything? I guess you didn't love me as much as I thought you did. Fuck you, Kogane!" He turned to walk away, but didn't make two steps before Keith's hands closed around his arms. He struggled for a minute, then lost all his fight when Keith's lips crushed into his. Jeff closed his eyes as Keith's hands worked their way under his shirt, then opened them wide as Keith ripped the shirt away. His hands went to Keith's shoulders, then twisted into Keith's hair as he deepened the kiss. Keith brushed Jeff's jaw with scores of little kisses, stopped to bite his neck, then kissed his way to a nipple and sucked it. Gasping, Jeff tugged Keith's shirt free of his pants and over his head, tossing it to the floor. Keith went to his knees, fumbling with Jeff's belt buckle. Finally it gave way, and Keith yanked Jeff's pants and boxers to his ankles. Jeff groaned as Keith took his member into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the head. His knees buckled, and he fell back onto the bed. "Oh God, that's good," he gasped. Keith flashed him a wicked grin and pulled his shaft deep into his throat, stroking his lover's balls as he did so. Jeff bit back a scream, all too conscious of the thin dorm walls.

Keith released Jeff's shaft from his mouth, but continued to slowly stroke it. "Come for me," he whispered. "I love to watch you shatter." Jeff thrust into his hand helplessly, and Keith took him back into his mouth.

"Oh, oh, KEITH!" Jeff shouted as he hit his release, filling his lover's mouth with his essence.

Keith swallowed, then carefully licked his lover clean. "Now it's my turn," he growled, standing up and shedding his own pants and boxers. He reached into his nightstand and retrieved a small tube. He coated his fingers and throbbing shaft, then slowly worked Jeff's opening. Jeff writhed and clutched the sheets. "You ready?" Keith whispered, and at Jeff's nod, he slowly entered his lover. "Damn, you feel good." He began a steady rhythm, working back and forth. Jeff met him thrust for thrust, and the pace soon became frantic.

Keith knew he was getting close and reached between their bodies to stroke Jeff's penis, wanting his lover to come when he did. All too soon, they both hit their peak; Keith froze, filling Jeff with his semen, while Jeff covered them both with his own second release.

"Don't tell me I don't love you," Keith panted. "You're half my life and all of my heart; it will kill me to go on without you."

"Then let's find a way for me to go with you." Jeff said softly, caressing Keith's cheek.

"How?" Keith asked in frustration, rolling onto his back. "Orders are orders; we can't disobey them."

Jeff propped himself on his elbow to look at Keith. "Who said anything about disobeying them? We need to change them."

"How?" Keith asked again. "Graham did this; you KNOW he isn't going to change them."

"No, but we both know two undersized computer nerds that can hack anything." Jeff kissed Keith. "Come on, let's get cleaned up and go find them. We need to talk to everybody."

Fifteen minutes later, they walked into the dorm common room. Chip and Pidge were engrossed in yet another one of their video games; Lance, Cliff, Sven, Hunk, and Crick sat across the room playing poker. Judging by the grumbling, Lance was taking everyone to the cleaners as usual. He glanced up with a cocky grin as Keith and Jeff walked in. "So, you two lovebirds ready for Arus?"

Keith shook his head; Jeff made sure the door was locked. "We need to talk to you about that." Everybody gathered on the sofas, abandoning the cards and video game. Keith took a deep breath; Jeff took his hand in his own. "Graham changed our orders. Jeff's to take command of the Vehicle Force on the _Explorer._"

The room erupted; Lance's voice rang above the rest. "You've got to be kidding. They can't just change the teams like that!"

"They can, Graham did, and you all know why." Jeff looked around at their friends. "We want to stay together, but if you guys think it will disrupt the teams, we'll stick with the orders."

"You two being miserable apart will be a worse disruption," Cliff drawled in his Australian accent. "We're with you mates; how do we fix this? No use asking Graham to change the orders; what do you want to do?"

"First things first. We need to know who Graham sent to Arus in Jeff's place," Lance pointed out.

"Dat vould be me," Sven said quietly. "I talked to Commander Hawkins several days ago; he had de roster for de Vehicle Force and said he looked forward to seeing me on de _Explorer."_

Keith looked at Sven. "And are you OK with us changing the orders again? I mean, we don't want to jerk you around, and if you'd rather go to Arus. . . ."

The Norwegian smiled. "No, vhy vould I mind? I tought I vas going to be on de _Explorer_ until postings came out today. And you and Jeff love each other; you should be together." He leaned forward and looked around. "Now, how do ve get me on de _Explorer_ and Jeff to Arus witout Graham noticing? He's going to be dere for both launches."

"I don't think it'll be a problem," Lance stretched. "When the Wonder Twins get through, the orders are going to look legitimate, nobody knows Graham changed them but him and us, and he's not going to make a scene in public."

'So, we need to change Sven's orders and Jeff's." Keith looked at Pidge and Chip. "Do you two think you can get in the system and do that?"

The twins grinned. "Piece of cake, Commander. Just leave it to us." Pidge ran from the room, followed by Chip.

"So, what do we tell the rest of the Vehicle Team?" Hunk asked.

"I don't think you should tell them anything," Crick said thoughtfully. "We could get in serious trouble for changing Jeff and Sven's orders; the fewer people that know, the better."

"He's right," Cliff agreed. "As far as any of us knew, Jeff was going to Arus anyway. Keep it between us."

Pidge and Chip came back in with a sheaf of papers each. "Here you go, Jeff," Pidge handed him his stack, "and Sven, Chip has yours." Sven took the papers, and everyone gathered around to inspect the forgeries.

"Great job, guys," Keith whistled. The forgeries were indistinguishable from the authentic orders. "Now, to get rid of the real orders."

"Give them to me," Lance ordered. He tore the papers into strips and burned them, then scattered the ashes in the room's three trash cans. "Done. And we never talk about this again. The orders were never changed." He put his hand out, and one by one his friends put theirs on top of it. "We're Space Explorers, and we stick together. Always."

"Always!" the group shouted.

Jeff looked around and grinned. "You guys are the best."


	2. Chapter 2

Graduation day dawned clear and bright. Jeff and Keith were up before the sun, as always; they went out into the courtyard and performed their morning Tai Chi, then went for a run. On their return, they showered with a minimum of their usual fooling around, then joined their teammates for breakfast. Jeff loaded his plate with bacon, eggs, and hash browns; Keith chose a fruit salad and oatmeal. They both got coffee and sat down across from Lance, who was propped on his elbows, cigarette in one hand, coffee in the other. "You two are entirely too cheerful for this damn early," he growled, glaring at the couple.

Keith shrugged. "Not our fault you and Cliff decided to close every bar in town last night. You're lucky the MPs didn't haul you in. Where is your partner in crime, anyway?"

"Still sorting out whether he's dead or alive." Lance took a last gulp of coffee. "I'm not so sure myself." He crushed out his cigarette and stood up. "Parents will be here in an hour; I'd better go shower and get dressed. Maybe by then I'll feel human." He dragged himself out the door; Keith and Jeff watched him for a minute, then burst out laughing.

"Those two will never change," Jeff said with a shake of his head. "You're going to have your hands full with Lance on Arus." When he got no answer, he looked over at his partner, who was staring down at his breakfast, face ghostly white, hands shaking. "Koibito? What's wrong?"

"Parents," Keith whispered, so softly that Jeff barely heard him. "All I ever wanted was for my parents to see me graduate from the Academy, to hear them tell me how proud they were of me." Tears shone in his eyes; Jeff pulled him to his feet and quickly guided him back to their room.

Once the door was closed and locked behind them, Jeff folded Keith in his arms as the Japanese man lost the battle with his tears. "It's all right, sweetheart. I love you, I'm so very proud of you." Keith just sobbed into his shoulder, and not for the first time Jeff cursed the elder Koganes. When Keith had finally told them he was gay, just barely a year ago, they had responded with a formal letter, stating that they had no son named Keith Akira. Keith had been devastated; Jeff had had to hide his katana for more than a month. _Damn, I thought he was over this,_ he thought. Silently, he pulled an unresisting Keith down to the bed and held him, smoothing his hair and rocking him.

The tears finally died away, and Keith jerked up. "What time is it? We have to get ready; we're going to be late!"

Jeff laughed and pulled Keith back down on top of him. "Relax! Nobody's going to be looking for us until the luncheon! We have all morning to ourselves."

Keith looked down at him. "Well, in that case, whatever shall we do with ourselves?" he purred, and captured Jeff's lips in a searing kiss.

Jeff flipped them over and deepened the kiss. "I can think of a few things," he gasped when they came up for air. "But we're wearing too many clothes for most of them." He pulled Keith's shirt over his head, then paused, a wicked gleam in his eyes. Slowly he slid his arms around his lover, then attacked his ribs, tickling madly. Keith shrieked and gave as good as he got. The outcome was inevitable and left them both panting and sated.

Keith pulled Jeff down to his chest and kissed him softly. "I love you, Jeff Dukane. You're the best thing that ever happened to me."

Jeff toyed with Keith's dog tags. "I love you too. I'll never let anything separate us." He lay content in his lover's arms, listening to Keith's heart as it slowed to its usual steady beat. "Keith? I'm sorry I cost you your parents."

Keith stroked Jeff's back, occasionally running his fingers up into his tangled curls. "You didn't," he said after a long silence. "Their attitude cost them their son. That is NOT your fault, nor is it mine. I have no regrets." He sat up, bringing Jeff with him. "Although, you still have to tell me where you hid my katana all that time."

Jeff grinned. "No, I don't. My secret, Kogane. Come on, let's get dressed and go out. See what our friends are up to." He pushed Keith out of bed. "Go, get in the shower. I'll get the uniforms together."

Soon, they were walking through the campus, looking for Lance and the rest of their friends. Jeff snuck a look at his partner. Keith cut quite a figure in the midnight blue dress uniform of a Garrison cadet. His long black hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and the slim cut of the uniform highlighted the muscles and dancer's grace that lay beneath. _Damn, it's gonna be a long day if I can't get my hands on him,_ Jeff thought with a grin.

"Keith! Jeff!" Lance came up to them, his parents and sister following. "Glad I finally found you! This is my mom, Denise and my dad, Charles. Mom, Dad, this is my commander, Keith Kogane, and our teammate Jeff Dukane."

"Nice to meet you; Lance has told us a lot about you." Charles McClain was a rough-looking man; the high school linebacker gone to seed. "You've got to tell me your secret for keeping this knucklehead in line."

Keith grinned. "Extra duty works wonders, sir. Lance is a good guy when he wants to be; I'm glad to have him on my team."

Charles chuckled. "I'm just happy he's still chasing girls. I've heard stories about places like this turnin' boys queer; what the hell's the use of being a hot pilot if you don't use it to get girls, right? Shouldn't even let damn faggots in the damn service."

Keith and Jeff were frozen; Lance wanted to sink into the ground. "I suppose you're right, sir," Keith said after a few minutes. "If you will be kind enough to excuse us, Cadet Dukane and I have some last minute details to attend to before the ceremony. It was very nice to meet you." He glanced at Lance. "Remember we have to be in formation by 1300. Don't be late." He turned and walked away with Jeff; Lance wheeled to face his father.

"Nice going, Dad!" he snapped. "I told you to leave that prejudiced bullshit at home! I can NOT believe you embarrassed me like that in front of my commander!" He paced back and forth. "I've got a good mind to tell you to go home after that!"

Charles chuckled. "Now, son, it wasn't so bad. I can tell that commander of yours doesn't like faggots anymore than I do; why, he actually agreed with me!"

Lance clenched his fists until he felt blood in his palms. "He was being polite, _Dad_. You were making enough of an ass out of yourself without him escalating things. I happen to know he couldn't possibly disagree with you any more than he does." He glanced at his watch. "I've got to go; I'll see you both after the ceremony." He kissed his mother's cheek and set off without so much as a glance at his father.

As soon as he got to the staging area, he made a beeline for Keith and Jeff, who were standing to one side talking to their senior instructor. He saluted, then stood at parade rest and waited for the senior officer to move on. Once he did—"Guys, I am so sorry for my dad. He's an idiot."

"We know." Jeff grinned. "His only redeeming quality is that he gave us you. Otherwise, he's an ass."

"We aren't mad at you, and he really didn't upset us," Keith put in. "We've heard worse. But I had to walk away before I lost my temper."

Lance grinned with relief. "Well, let's get this thing done, then!" He and Jeff jogged to their places; Keith took the command position at the head of the formation, and they all marched into the stadium.

The ceremony went by quickly. To his surprise, Lance got the award for most outstanding pilot; to no one's surprise, Keith won the awards for strategy and tactics, military history, and hand to hand combat. Soon it was over, and the new officers dispersed to meet up with friends and family. Lance saw his parents headed for him; the look on his father's face was all too familiar. "I really don't need this," he sighed.

Keith and Jeff both put a hand on his shoulder. "He can't do anything," Jeff said quietly. "You're an officer of Galaxy Garrison now; he can't touch you."

Lance nodded grimly, then squared his shoulders and walked over to his parents. "Oh, baby, you looked great up there!" his mother gushed, kissing his cheek. "We're so proud of you!"

Charles glowered. "Saw you hanging around those damn faggots," he snarled. "Guess you're one too, now. Well, I know how to cure you of that!"He drew back a fist and swung at Lance, intent on beating him into submission as he had so many times before.

Lance was ready for him. He caught the punch easily, using the older man's momentum to flip him over and land him on the grass. "I'm not a scared 10 year old anymore, DAD," Lance spat, shaking with fury. "I can take you out, and you're damned lucky I've got enough control not to kill you." He turned to his mother. "Mom, I'm sorry. I can't put up with him anymore; I _won't_ put up with him anymore. I've got too much else on my plate to deal with him. I love you, but as long as you're with him, you won't see me again." He wrapped her in his arms for a long minute, then turned and headed back toward his room. Behind him he vaguely heard the MPs picking his father up and escorting him off the Academy grounds.

Keith was waiting for him outside their dorm. "You OK?"

Lance nodded tersely, still fighting to control his temper. "I will be. You saw?"

Keith nodded. "Long overdue, from what you've told me; you won't catch any flak from me for it." He pushed himself off the wall. "Sven, Jeff, and I are going out to dinner. Come with us?"

Lance hesitated, then grinned. "Sure. We've got a lot of celebrating to do!" He slung his arm around his commander's shoulders, and they walked down the hall to their waiting teammates. School was finally over; he couldn't wait to see what lay in store on Arus.


	3. Chapter 3

. Finally, they had made it to Arus. Keith watched his teammates as they made their way through the mist-shrouded forest. They were all sick and weak, thanks to the beatings and lack of food they had endured on Planet Doom. _But we're all alive, _he reminded himself. _That's all that matters. We're alive, and we escaped from Doom. We can recover from everything else once we find that castle we saw on the way in._

Another half hour of walking brought them to within sight of the castle. Lance swore as they all looked up in horror. "It's been almost completely destroyed," Pidge whispered, the first thing he'd said since they woke up in the cell on Doom. "There can't be anyone left alive in there!"

"There has to be," Jeff said, exchanging a look with Keith. "SOMEBODY was behind that tractor beam that brought us down; it didn't appear by magic."

"Well, we ain't gonna find out just standing here." Hunk started walking towards the castle; after a minute, the rest of the team followed him.

Inside the castle, they found the last survivors of the Arusian court: Crown Princess Allura and her royal advisor, Coran. Keith supposed she was pretty enough—even though he didn't know about such things-, even with the hideously pink floofy dress. He quickly introduced his team and explained their mission.

Allura's eyes filled with tears. "Zarkon has all but destroyed Arus," she said softly. "Voltron is our only hope, and your arrival here is an answer to our prayers."

Keith swallowed hard. What he had to say wasn't going to be easy. "I must be honest with you, Your Highness. We were sent here by Galaxy Garrison to retrieve Voltron and take him back to Earth." He looked around at his teammates and got nods from each of them. "But now that we see how things are here, we can't take your only defense. And it would be our privilege to fight for you, if you will have us." Before he knew what he was doing, he was on one knee in front of the princess. "I pledge my life and my skill to your service. I vow by all that I hold sacred that I will avenge your people, and rid the Azure Quadrant of the menace of Doom." One by one his team followed his example.

Poor Pidge, though, had reached his limits. As he went to kneel in front of the princess, he simply collapsed. The princess gasped in horror. "Oh how rude of me to keep you standing here when you must be starved and exhausted. Coran, if you will show them to quarters, I'll go find them something to eat."

"Of course, Highness." Coran turned towards Keith. "If you gentlemen will follow me." Hunk picked Pidge up and the space explorers followed the elderly advisor down a corridor.

Later, after they had eaten and cleaned up, Jeff lay in Keith's arms, nearly asleep. "Do you think we should have done that, giving our loyalty to Arus? We're going to be in big trouble with the Garrison."

Keith was quiet for so long that Jeff began to think he had fallen asleep. "It was the right thing to do," he said finally. "All these people have left is Voltron; we can't take that away from them. And I just can't walk away. Garrison has plenty of other defenses against the Drules; Arus doesn't." He shifted to look down at his partner. "Are you sorry we did it?"

"Never! Where you go, I go, koibito, and I agree with you; I just wanted to hear your reasoning." Jeff snuggled closer. "We need to talk to this princess, though. Graham has to have figured out what we did by now; no way he's going to just let it lay." He propped himself on an elbow to look Keith in the eye. "And we need to tell her about us, before things go any further."

"Yeah, I caught the way she was looking at me," Keith sighed. "I can't think about it anymore tonight, though. I'm fried. Night, love." He was asleep before Jeff could answer him.

The next few days were taken up with learning the robot lions and practicing tactics. The mecha were far more sensitive than anything they'd flown at the Academy, and there were more than a few crashes as they adjusted. Three days after they arrived on Arus, Zarkon attacked; much to their surprise, they defeated him easily. That night, Keith and Jeff approached Allura. "Princess, could we speak with you in private?"

"Of course." Allura led them to what must have once been a splendid ballroom. "Is something wrong?"

"Not really," Keith sighed, "but there are some things you need to know about." He blushed and looked down at his boots. "Princess, Jeff and I—we're gay."

Allura cocked her head. "I'm glad you're happy; why is that a problem?"

The two pilots choked. Jeff took pity on his lover and commander. "It doesn't mean we're happy, Princess. We're lovers, and have been for a long time."

"And we're pretty sure Marshal Graham's going to make trouble for us." Keith had regained his composure. "There's nothing in Garrison regulations about same-sex relationships, but Graham doesn't like them. He actually changed our orders at the last minute to split me and Jeff up, but Pidge and his brother hacked the system and changed them back."

Allura was wide-eyed. "I see," she finally managed. "You should know there is no prejudice against same sex relationships on Arus; we believe that love should know no restrictions. And we will prepare for whatever action the Marshal may take. Do I have your permission to tell Coran what you have told me? I assure you that his discretion is absolute, and his advice may be invaluable."

"Of course, Princess. Whatever you think best."

Two days later, Keith and Jeff were summoned to the control room for the communication they had been dreading. Marshal Graham glowered down at them from the monitor. "You were due back on Earth two days ago, Commander Kogane. Why have you delayed?"

Keith saluted. "Sir, the situation on Arus is not what we were led to believe. Voltron is the only defense the planet has against Zarkon's forces. I made the decision that we would stay and fight for Arus."

Graham's face was red. "YOU decided? What made you think you had that kind of authority, Kogane?"

"Galaxy Garrison regulation 29, paragraph 4(a) clearly states that a commander in the field may use his discretion in altering his orders should field conditions warrant, sir." Keith was calm, managing to keep the smugness he felt out of his voice.

"Humph. And what regulation gave you the authority to change Lieutenant Commander Dukane's orders, Commander?"

Keith's expression didn't change. "I don't understand, sir. Lieutenant Commander Dukane's orders are the same as they have been since before graduation. I swear to you, neither he nor I altered them."

Graham had gone purple. "I suppose you think you've gotten away with something! I expect to hear in 48 hours that you and your team are on the way to Earth, with Voltron, Commander, otherwise I will send a fleet to retrieve him. Graham out."

Keith bowed his head and swore softly in Japanese, then straightened and turned to Jeff. "I want a meeting with the team and the princess in 5 minutes." Jeff nodded and left the room at a run.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Koibito is Japanese for sweetheart; aniki is Japanese for big brother.

"So, that's what we're facing," Keith concluded, looking around the table at his teammates and Allura. "We have maybe a week before there's a Garrison fleet knocking on our door."

Allura was livid. "I cannot believe Marshal Graham would do such a thing! He has to know Arus will view this as an act of war on the part of the Alliance."

"Oh, trust me, he knows," Lance drawled. "He just doesn't care. He wants Voltron and will do whatever it takes to get him." He looked at Keith and Jeff. "If he can take one or both of you out in the process, that's just gravy."

"Yeah, that's the truth," Jeff sighed. "So, what do we do? It'll be just our luck that Zarkon will attack at the same time."

"Our main focus is Zarkon," Keith answered grimly. "If it comes to it, ignore the Garrison fleet. Hopefully, the commander won't be so terminally stupid as to attack us while Zarkon is attacking."

Allura got to her feet. "I must go discuss this with Coran. We WILL file a formal protest with the Alliance." She swept out, leaving the Force to discuss how best to deal with the Garrison fleet.

Two nights later found Keith in a secluded corner of the garden, meditating. Despite Arus' protest, the team's Garrison contacts had confirmed that morning that a fleet was on the way to Arus, with orders to take Voltron at any cost. For the first time in his life, Keith found himself unable to meditate. His thoughts kept racing in circles, going back again and again to Jeff's prediction that Zarkon would mount an attack at the same time. _If that happens, we're dead_, he thought grimly.

He started as a pair of arms slipped around his waist, then relaxed as he registered Jeff's presence. "Thought I'd find you out here," his lover murmured, nuzzling his neck. "You do know you're an hour late for your shift in the Control Room?"

Keith swore and started to get up; he hadn't realized it was that late. Jeff pulled him back to the ground with a laugh. "Relax, Lance is covering for you. He took the shift and chased me off to look for you when you didn't show up. Talk to me, koibito. What's in that head of yours?"

"Everything," Keith sighed, leaning back into his lover's arms. "Graham will stop at nothing to have Voltron, including our deaths. Zarkon wants us just as dead. How do we fight both of them?"

"We don't, tonight." Jeff massaged Keith's shoulders, marveling at the tension in them. "Do you realize we haven't touched each other since we came to Arus?" He moved in front of Keith, taking his face in his hands and kissing him deeply. Keith resisted at first, aware that anyone could come along, but soon lost his will to fight.

Slowly, Jeff unbuttoned Keith's shirt and let it fall to the ground. He lowered his head and sucked on Keith's nipple until it turned pebbly under his tongue. Keith moaned, wrapping his fingers into Jeff's dark hair. "Been too long, koibito. That feels good!" Jeff switched to the other nipple, licking and sucking. One hand drifted to the bulge in Keith's jeans and cupped it for a minute, then slowly stroked it. Keith froze. "Ah, wait, not yet, SHIT!"

Jeff sat up, eyes wide. "Did you just come?" Keith's blush was his answer. "Damn, didn't realize it had been that long! Come on, let's go inside and finish this. A fine thing," Jeff grumbled, low enough that only Keith could hear him. "Get all set to make love to you in the garden all night, and you go all thirteen years old on me."

"Sorry, koibito. I'll make it up to you." They reached their quarters and Keith slowly stripped Jeff of his shirt and jeans. His lover was achingly hard, penis flat against his belly and already leaking precum. Keith pushed him down on the bed, then knelt between his legs. Slowly he licked Jeff's erection from bottom to top, then took the head into his mouth and sucked it.

Jeff hissed and fisted his hands in the sheets, closing his eyes in ecstasy. "Oh, yes, just like that, koibito!" Keith said nothing, just took more of him into his mouth, swirling his tongue up and down Jeff's shaft. Jeff groaned and thrust into Keith's mouth, quickly reaching his peak and tumbling over it with a shout. Keith gulped his release down, then crawled up to lie beside Jeff.

"Did that make up for it?" Keith grinned. Jeff didn't answer, but wrapped his arms around Keith and kissed him soundly. Keith returned the kiss and nestled into Jeff's arms.

Just as they were about to fall asleep, the alarms went off. The two men threw their clothes on and sprinted for Control. Lance had the main monitor split in two, and was intently watching two very different fleets entering the Arus system. He glanced behind him when he heard Keith and Jeff's footsteps. "That bastard Graham," he growled. "He sent the fleet as soon as he talked to you, Keith; looks like we're going to have one hell of a party. How do we fight Garrison _and_ Zarkon?"

"We don't," Keith said calmly, as Hunk and Pidge scrambled into the room. "Zarkon is our enemy, not the Garrison. Don't engage the Garrison forces unless you have to, and shoot to disable only. We don't need to give Graham the ammunition that we killed innocent Garrison soldiers following orders."

Lance rolled his eyes and yielded his seat to one of the Castle technicians. "Damn, you don't ask for much, do you?"

"Wouldn't ask if I didn't know you could do it." Keith took one more glance at the monitor; the Doom fleet was entering Arus' atmosphere. "Let's go, team."

Halfway through the battle with the Doom forces, the Garrison fleet arrived and hailed the Force. "This is Admiral James Connelly, commanding the 7th Garrison fleet. You are ordered to immediately surrender yourselves and your ships. I f you refuse, we have orders to fire on you."

"We're a little bit busy here, already getting shot at, in case you didn't notice." Lance grunted the last words as he dodged an attack and destroyed its source.

Keith unleashed a volley that took out half a dozen Doom ships, then addressed the Admiral. "We aren't surrendering. Arus depends on us, and on Voltron, to do just what we're doing right now. Either help us, or stay out of our way. As Lt. McClain said, we're a little bit busy right now." He switched his COM to the private Force frequency. "Here we go, guys. Remember what I said about shooting to disable."

"Shame no one told THEM that," Jeff commented. As soon as the words left his mouth, the fleet opened fire. The Force did their best, but were caught in a crossfire between the Garrison ships and the Doom ships, all of which seemed determined to kill them.

One of the Garrison fighters was just a little quicker than Jeff. As he dodged a Doom attack, the Garrison fighter took aim and fired a missile that tore into Blue Lion just behind the cockpit. Jeff's scream rang across the COM, then cut off as Blue plummeted from the sky. Keith cried out and dove after his lover.

Lance swore and went after him. "Keith, get your head back in this battle!" Red Lion crouched in front of Black, tail whipping. Black growled and tried to go around him; Lance matched the move. "Damn it, Keith, listen to me!" Lance yelled. "I know you want to see about Jeff, but we need you here! You leave, we're ALL gonna be in MedTech, if we aren't dead!"

"Jeff," Keith whispered brokenly. "Lance, he—"

"I don't know, aniki." Lance glanced at the ground. "The trauma team's got him; they'll do everything they can. You can't help him now, but you can help us."

Keith took a deep breath and wiped his eyes with gloved fingers, then jerked his controls and re-engaged the Doom fleet.

As he did, he heard the Princess on the COM. "Admiral Connelly," she said formally. "You have fired on Arusian forces in the middle of a battle. We have no choice but to view that as an act of war on the part of the Galaxy Alliance. Commander Kogane, do you and your men stand with Arus, or is your loyalty to the Alliance?"

Keith destroyed the last Doom ship and looked around for a robeast. Not seeing one, he turned his attention to his teammates, ignoring the ache in his heart over the missing one. Hunk and Lance were both coldly furious, shooting at every Garrison ship in range, but still mindful of Keith's orders. Pidge was flying, but not firing; his face was white and his eyes were huge behind his glasses. "Guys," Keith said quietly. "I can't order you to stay; you're free to go back to Earth with the fleet. I'm staying; I can't leave Jeff." _If he's still alive,_ he thought bleakly.

Lance snorted. "And you two will form Voltron how? This place needs us; they're Zarkon bait without Voltron, and if we leave, they don't have him." Hunk and Pidge nodded in agreement.

"I just wish I knew Chip would be OK," Pidge whispered.

"He will be," Lance assured him. "The Explorer is well out of Graham's reach now, and Sven and Commander Hawkins will protect him." Pidge nodded, the look on his face changing from fear to determination.

Keith switched from the private COM to open mode. "Princess Allura, my men and I would be honored to stand with Arus. Admiral Connelly, we will be transmitting our resignations to Galaxy Garrison no later than 1700 hours."

"Thank you, Commander Kogane." Allura addressed the admiral. "Sir, you and your troops are not welcome in Arusian airspace. Leave at once. Commander Kogane, kindly see to it that he does so."

"Highness," Keith acknowledged, then turned and took up a position flanking the Garrison flagship. The rest of the Force followed suit, and escorted the fleet beyond the bounds of the Arus system. Once he was sure the fleet was leaving, Keith flew back to Arus with all the speed he could coax out of Black. Now that the battle was over, all his fear for his partner had come roaring back to the surface, and he could think of nothing but getting to Jeff's side.

Lance watched him go, then ordered Hunk and Pidge back to the Castle, sighing as he brought Red around to follow them. _Please Dear God,_ he prayed, for the first time in years, _let Jeff be all right. Keith can't live without him, and we don't stand a chance in hell without Keith._

Keith landed Black in front of the Castle and sprinted for MedTech, heart in his throat. "Where is Lieutenant Commander Dukane?" he asked the first nurse he saw.

"He's in surgery, sir," the nurse was wide-eyed at the frantic appearance of the usually cool and collected Voltron Commander. "If you have a seat in the waiting room, Dr. Gorma will let you know something as soon as he can."

Lance found him pacing the waiting room a short time later, too anxious to sit. "Any word?" Lance asked softly.

"Not yet." Keith turned an anguished face to Lance. "What if he dies, Lance? I-I can't live without him!" Tears shone in his eyes and poured down his cheeks unheeded.

Lance pulled his best friend into his arms, letting the tears soak his shoulder. "He won't die, brother. He loves you too much to leave you like that. It'll be all right, you'll see." Someone cleared their throat behind him; the two men turned to see Dr. Gorma, still in his scrubs.

"Lt. Commander Dukane is in critical condition," he said somberly. "He has a concussion, lacerated liver, and a right arm that is broken in three places. He should make a full recovery, however, Commander."

"May I see him?" Keith managed not to beg.

"Not now, he needs his rest and we don't allow visitors in ICU. Speak with the nurse about visiting hours when he is moved to a room." Gorma turned and left, oblivious to the bereft expression on Keith's face.

Lance ran after the doctor. "Doc, there's something you should know. Keith and Jeff have been lovers for a long time. That wasn't the Commander of the Voltron Force asking to see his second; that was Keith Kogane begging you to let him see the man he loves." He put his hand on Gorma's arm. "Please, make an exception? Those two are closer than any two people I've ever seen in my life; I know it will do Jeff good to have Keith there."

The doctor hesitated, then nodded. "Very well. I will leave orders that Commander Kogane may see Lt. Commander Dukane any time he wishes. That is the only exception I will make, Lieutenant. I don't want your whole team crowding into my ICU."

"We won't. Thank you, doctor." Lance went back and gave Keith the good news; a few minutes later, a nurse came and escorted Keith to the intensive care unit.

Keith's heart stopped at the sight of Jeff. He was deathly white, black curls gone and a bandage in their place. Tubes and wires ran everywhere, and Keith could barely make out the rise and fall of Jeff's chest as he breathed. He sat down next to the bed and took Jeff's slack hand. "Oh god, koibito," he whispered. "Please don't leave me; I can't do this without you."

There was no response but the beeping machines.


	5. Chapter 5

Three days went by, and Jeff still hadn't woken up. Lance had managed to bully Keith into getting a shower and some food halfway through the second day; otherwise, Keith hadn't left his partner's side. He was slumped between Jeff's bed and his chair, napping fitfully, when he felt something move in his hair. He started awake to find Jeff looking down at him, stroking his hair weakly. "Jeff! Oh, thank God!" He jumped up and kissed Jeff.

"Hi, sweetheart," Jeff whispered. "You look like hell. Been here the whole time?"

"I couldn't leave you." Keith sat on the edge of the bed and held Jeff's bandaged hand. "God, love, I was so scared."

Jeff covered their hands with his good one. "I'm not going to leave you, Keith. I love you; I'm always going to be there for you." He managed to lean forward and kiss his lover, then fell back on his pillows. "What have I missed?"

Keith considered. "Well, we all resigned from the Garrison and joined the Arusian armed forces. Garrison is horrified by what Graham did, and is backpedaling as hard as they can. 'No, no, we never had any designs on Voltron, of course he belongs to Arus,' and 'We have no intention of splitting Commander Kogane and Lt. Commander Dukane up, so long as their relationship doesn't impact their mission.'"

Jeff rolled his eyes, then winced at the motion. "I can believe the part about us; that was Graham's personal little vendetta. But Voltron? Come on, how stupid do they think we are?"

"You got me, koibito." They heard a noise at the door and looked up to see Princess Allura standing there.

"Commander Dukane! So glad to see you awake! How are you feeling?"

Jeff smiled and beckoned her into the room. "I'll be fine, Princess. Back on my feet in no time."

Allura took the chair Keith had vacated. "That's good to hear. I wish this were a social visit, but sadly it isn't. I've been going back and forth with the Garrison and the Alliance over the unprovoked attack, and I have to tell you that Marshal Graham has decided to come here personally to 'mend fences' as he put it."

Jeff couldn't get any paler, but Keith did, and they both swore. "When, Princess?" Keith finally asked.

"He'll be here in the morning. I'm sorry, Commanders. Coran and I both made it clear he was not wanted here, but he insisted."

Keith picked up his COM unit. "Lance, Pidge, Hunk. Meeting in Jeff's room, five minutes." He listened to the acknowledgements, then put the COM back down and looked at Jeff. "Sweetheart, I'm sorry, I didn't even ask. Are you up for this?"

Jeff had closed his eyes, but managed a smile. "As long as you aren't your usual long-winded self, Kogane. I'll live, and you need all of us in on this."

The other three members of the Force soon arrived, high-fiving Jeff when they saw he was awake. "You didn't call us here just to show off Jeff with his eyes open," Lance finally said. "What's going on?"

"Marshal Graham will be here tomorrow." Everyone started talking at once; a piercing whistle from Keith finally cut through the chatter.

"What does the old bastard want now, Keith?" Lance paced, hands shoved in his jacket pockets.

"He claims he's coming to 'mend fences'. I don't trust him as far as I could throw Black." Keith looked around at his teammates. "Keep your keys on you at all times; don't let them out of your hands. I can see him trying to steal them."

"And what about you two, aniki?" Lance turned from the window. "Jeff's in a pretty vulnerable spot; I wouldn't put it past the old SOB to get you two out of his hair permanently."

Keith's eyes went flat and cold. "I won't let that happen." He turned and walked out of the room without another word; a wide-eyed Jeff struggled to get out of bed and follow him.

Lance put a hand on Jeff's shoulder. "You out of your mind? Stay put!"

Jeff shook his head, face white. "He needs me, Lance. I know that look; he had the same one when he got the letter from his parents. Let me go!"

"Jeff, you won't make it three steps, assuming you can get up at all." Lance was almost as pale as Jeff, but grimly determined. "I'll go talk to him; he listens to me almost as much as he does you. Trust me, Jeff, please."

Jeff gave up and lay back against his pillows, exhausted. "Hurry, Lance. I don't know what he's thinking." Lance nodded once and left the room at a run.

Hunk cleared his throat and looked at Pidge. "Well, we got to get back to work. You made a heck of a mess out of Blue."

"Sorry," Jeff whispered with a faint grin. "I'll do better next time."

That left Allura sitting alone with Jeff, and she was dying of curiosity. "Jeff, can I ask you a couple of things?"

The grey eyes fluttered open. "Long as they're quick and easy, Princess. I'm pretty much done in, I'm afraid."

Allura blushed at the gentle admonition. "You boys use some words I've never heard before when you talk to each other. I've looked all through my English texts and can't find them. You and Keith call each other something odd, and Lance does too."

Jeff smiled. "Those aren't English words, they're Japanese. Keith taught them to us. He and I call each other 'koibito'; it means sweetheart. Lance calls Keith 'aniki' and me 'ani', which means big brother and brother; we swore blood brotherhood at the Academy, and Keith's older than both of us." His voice faded on the last words and his eyes closed; Allura stayed and watched him sleep.

Lance caught up to Keith in his room. He was sitting on the bed, staring down at the katana in his hands. "I'll kill him, Lance. Jeff almost died once because of him; I won't let it happen again. I'll kill him."

"Not like this." Lance knelt in front of Keith and put his hands on top of his brother's. "You told me when you first showed me this that it was a weapon of honor, not to be used in anger. Keith, don't get it dirty with Graham's blood. He's not worthy of it."

Keith looked down at Lance. "So, I just let him go?"

"Didn't say that." Lance shook his head. "Protect Jeff, kill Graham if that's what it takes, but there are other ways. Use this, and you're headed to Garrison prison for premeditated murder. THINK, Keith, damnit!"

Keith sat silently, his shoulders shaking. Suddenly, the katana fell from his fingers into Lance's hands. "I just want to know why he hates us so badly," he whispered. Lance was startled to see tears in the dark eyes. "Why, Lance? What did we ever do to him? All Jeff and I want is to live together and love each other. What's so wrong with that?"

"Oh, aniki." Lance sat on the bed and put an arm around Keith's shoulders. "It's nothing to do with you; it's all Graham." He took a deep breath. "Graham is gay, and years ago was in love with one of his classmates. When Graham made an advance to the guy, the boy rejected him, then went out and hung himself."

"How do you know that?"

"One of the old gate guards at the Academy told me." Lance handed Keith his handkerchief. "So, it's not you or Jeff. Graham's just a bitter old bastard." He grinned. "Now, go keep your boy toy company. We'll cover your shifts while Graham is here." He held the smile until Keith left the room, then let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. _Too damn close,_ he thought.

Marshal Graham arrived as scheduled the next morning; the entire Force, including a rather wobbly Jeff, was on hand to greet him. He ignored them and went straight to Allura. "Highness, a pleasure. Thank you for allowing me to come."

Allura inclined her head graciously. "Good relations with Garrison and the Alliance are important to Arus, Marshal. We do what we can to accommodate them." Her smile was sweetly poisonous.

Graham turned his attention to Keith. "Commander Kogane, your resignations were disregarded as being in the heat of the moment; you will be pleased to know that you have all retained your ranks and salaries."

Keith stiffened. "We will be resubmitting them, Marshal. Those resignations were very carefully thought out, and we all stand behind them."

The marshal snorted, then his eyes fell on Jeff. "Lt. Commander Dukane. I am surprised to see you here, given the nature of your injuries."

Jeff was pale, but managed to stand steady and hold the Marshal's gaze. "My place is with my team, Marshal. I'll be fine."

"Good man. That's the attitude I like in my soldiers." Graham clapped Jeff on the shoulder, then followed Allura and Coran into the castle, not noticing Jeff collapsing in his wake.

Keith and Lance both swore and caught Jeff. "I'm fine," he gasped. "Son . . . of a . . . bitch! He hit my bad . . . arm . . . on purpose!"

"Come on, let's get you to MedTech and see if he did any damage." Keith draped Jeff's good arm over his shoulder and headed into the castle, Lance following behind him.

Unfortunately, Graham had knocked the newly-set arm out of alignment. Jeff got a lecture from Gorma as it was re-set, and reluctantly accepted a sedative to help him rest. Keith settled in the chair next to him, checking his blaster and putting it within easy reach. Lance watched from the doorway, and was about to say something when Keith's COM beeped. "Kogane."

"Commander, this is Control. Marshal Graham is requesting your presence." That was an understatement; the pilots could hear the man bellowing in the background.

Keith sighed. "On my way. Kogane out." He stood up slowly, taking a long look at Jeff.

"He'll be fine, aniki." Lance crossed to the bed and sat in Keith's chair. "I won't let him out of my sight until you get back here, and I won't let anything happen. Go pacify the raging bull before he breaks something, preferably his head." He pulled his own blaster from his jacket and laid it in his lap; Keith leaned over and kissed Jeff, then turned and quickly left the room.

Marshal Graham was pacing Castle Control, fuming, when Keith arrived. "I don't like being kept waiting, Commander," he barked. "Where the hell have you been?"

Keith kept his expression neutral. "Lt. Commander Dukane collapsed after you went into the castle, sir. Lieutenant McClain and I had to carry him to MedTech and see to his care. Sorry for the delay."

Graham scowled. "Well, you're here now. I'm ready to fly Black Lion; give me the key." He held his hand out imperiously.

"With all due respect, Marshal, no." Keith folded his arms. "You are not flying Black, or any lion, solo. Not while I'M commander of the Voltron Force."

"Be reasonable, Marshal." Allura came to stand beside Keith, making her support clear. "Zarkon attacks at random; Arus would feel terrible if you were caught in Black Lion and injured during one of his attacks. I'm sure Commander Kogane would be happy to take you on a reconnaissance flight."

Actually, that was the _last _thing Commander Kogane wanted to do, but Keith managed a nod. Graham grumpily agreed, and they were soon in the air. Keith put Black through a restricted version of his paces, mindful of his passenger's long inexperience with combat maneuvers, then headed across Arus, showing the marshal some of the sights. Graham sulked in silence the entire trip; Keith was grateful when they finally returned to the castle and the older man stomped off to his quarters to rest before dinner. Keith himself made a beeline for MedTech.

Lance met him at Jeff's door. "Thank God you're back. He woke up while you were gone, is in real bad pain, but won't let the doctor give him anything."

Keith swore and ran to Jeff's side. "Koibito, I'm here. Why won't you let the doctor give you anything?" He took Jeff's good hand and stroked it.

"Woke up. . . you weren't here." Jeff's eyes were closed, and his teeth were clenched. "Don't want. . . to go. . . to sleep again."

Keith bowed his head. "I'm sorry, love. I won't leave again. Please, let the doctor give you something; I can't stand to see you hurting like this."

"Promise. . . won't leave?"

"Not unless Zarkon attacks," Keith vowed, and Jeff allowed the waiting nurse to put the pain meds in his IV. They took effect almost immediately; Jeff relaxed and was asleep in minutes.

"I'll bring you some dinner," Lance whispered, slipping out the door. Keith barely acknowledged his departure; all his attention was on Jeff.

Late that night, Keith was asleep in the chair next to Jeff when he heard a noise at the door. He was instantly awake, knowing one of the nurses wouldn't have disturbed him. A shadowy figure crossed the room and stood at Jeff's side, holding a syringe to his IV. Keith jumped to his feet and leveled his blaster. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?" The figure didn't answer, but stuck the needle in the IV tube. Keith fired, hitting the intruder dead center. As the figure slid to the floor, Keith reached for the bedside light and turned it on. "Holy Mother of God!"

Space Marshal Graham lay dead on the floor, an empty syringe in his right hand.

Later that morning, Keith, Allura, Lance, and Coran were in a video conference with the new acting Space Marshal. Jeff had wanted to be there, but Gorma had put his foot down and Keith had backed him up, promising a full report to his lover later. "We're grateful to you, Highness, and to you, Commander Kogane, for not making a fuss over this," the new Marshal said. "Commander Kogane killed Marshal Graham in self-defense, there will be no charges and this matter is closed."

Keith inclined his head graciously; Coran cleared his throat. "What about Voltron, and the status of the Force?"

"Voltron is the property of Arus, of course, and Garrison renounces any intentions of acquiring him. As for the Force," the Marshal paused. "Garrison hates to lose pilots of their caliber, but we understand their logic in remaining on Arus. Their resignations have been accepted as of the date submitted."

Lance whooped; Keith rolled his eyes at him, but grinned and thanked the marshal. As soon as the call terminated, he ran for MedTech.

Jeff opened his eyes at the sound of Keith's footsteps. "Well? Are we going back to Earth in chains?"

"No, we're staying, and I'm not being charged for killing Graham." Keith sat on the edge of the bed and held Jeff's hand. "There's just one more detail I have to take care of." He slipped to one knee; Jeff watched him curiously. "Jeffery Michael Dukane, will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

Tears welled up in Jeff's eyes, and he threw his arms around Keith, ignoring the pain. "Yes! Yes, gladly."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Last chapter! Thank you to everyone who's stuck with this odd little piece of the Voltron universe, esp. Harmony Winters and UsagiRyu who always encourage me.

Three months later, Keith and Jeff stood before the Archbishop of Arus, surrounded by their teammates and friends, including the Vehicle Force, who had shown up the day before much to everyone's surprise. Both of them wore the dark blue dress uniform of the Arusian Defense Force, and Keith wore his katana at his side. At the Archbishop's direction, they joined hands and faced each other to recite their vows.

"My beloved Keith." Jeff was proud of the fact that his voice only wavered slightly. "You are my right arm, and the reason I wake up every morning. I will not promise to love you forever; forever is for poets and dreamers, and is not promised to men like us. I will promise that whatever time is granted to me is yours, and when I must leave this world, know that I will do so loving you." He slipped a platinum band onto Keith's left hand.

"Jeff, my heart." The usually rock-steady Commander was trembling. "As long as there is breath in my body, I will love you in this world, and I will carry that love with me to the worlds beyond. You are my heart and soul, the very light of my life." His shaking hands caused him to drop Jeff's ring, but Lance scooped it up and handed it back to him with a grin. Blushing furiously, he slid the ring onto Jeff's finger.

The Archbishop held his hands over Keith and Jeff's joined ones. "May the Goddess bless your love and watch over you in the years to come. It is my privilege to pronounce you married. You may kiss." Jeff grabbed Keith and kissed him passionately, to the applause and catcalls of their friends.

Later, at the reception, Marshal Kennison approached Keith and Jeff. "Congratulations, gentlemen. I am sorry that Marshal Graham made the start of your lives together so difficult, but you have the best wishes of Galaxy Garrison and myself for your future. Should there ever be a need, call. Arus has the full military backing of Galaxy Garrison." He shook each of their hands, then moved off with a smile.

Jeff looked at Keith. "My God, we did it. We're actually married. Have I told you I love you, Commander Dukane-Kogane?"

Keith kissed him. "Not lately, Lt. Commander Dukane-Kogane. But I'll let it slip."

Sven walked up to them and cleared his throat; the newlyweds turned to face him with identical grins. "Vell, dat vas a heck of a show," the Norwegian grinned. "Ve've had bets on how long it vould take you two."

"Who won?" Jeff asked curiously.

Sven shrugged. "Who alvays vins vhen ve gamble?"

"Lance," Keith and Jeff said simultaneously. At the sound of his name, Lance turned from his conversation with Allura and waved. "He does have the damndest luck," Jeff said enviously.

"He has to, the way he flies," Keith answered dryly. "So, tell us, Sven; how's your command going? It seems to agree with you."

Sven smiled. "It is very good. Vhat I alvays vanted, exploring de Galaxy, looking for new vorlds, vit de occasional Drule head to crack for entertainment." He paused and looked back over at Lance. "Vell now, isn't dat interesting?" he said softly. "I tink de Academy playboy may be ready to settle down."

Keith and Jeff turned to look. Lance was sitting next to the Princess of Arus, holding her hands and talking to her earnestly. Keith stiffened. "I'll have to talk to him; she's not one of his conquests!" He started in that direction, but was stopped by his husband's hand on his arm.

"Leave it alone, koibito. If he was looking to make a conquest, they'd be halfway to his bedroom by now." Jeff looked thoughtful. "I think our Lance just may be onto something serious; I just hope he's ready for it."

"Hmm. I guess even Lance has to grow up." Keith relaxed, then stiffened again as the alarm went off. "We're under attack; let's go team!"

"Vait." Keith turned and looked at Sven, who was gesturing to round up his own team. "You are not going out fighting on your vedding day. Ve have dis." The fifteen members of the vehicle force ran from the ballroom, leaving Keith's team with jaws gaping.

"Keith, can they beat Zarkon?" Allura walked up to join them; it didn't escape Keith's notice that she was on Lance's arm.

"If anyone besides us can, Princess, they can." And sure enough, as they watched, Sven's team made the same quick work of the Doom forces that they would have themselves.

The Vehicle force returned to rousing applause from the Lion team and the other guests, and the party went on into the late hours of the night. As it began to break up, with Sven ordering his team back to the _Explorer _for an early departure, Keith and Jeff approached Lance. "What's going on with you and the Princess?" Jeff asked for both of them.

Lance looked at them with a rare, real smile. "She's a nice girl; we're getting to know each other better. What, you two think you've cornered the market on romance here? Not a chance." He tossed off a salute, then went over and offered his arm to Allura to escort her to her rooms.

Jeff snuggled into Keith. "Let's go to bed, koibito. I think we've had enough excitement for one night, and it's back to business tomorrow."

Keith grinned down at him. "Yup, but first—the wedding night!" He picked Jeff up and carried him out of the ballroom to the laughter and applause of their teammates. Finally, they were together forever.


End file.
